Mobile track positioning machine



Sept. 22, 1964 PLASSER T 3,149,579

.MOBILE TRACK POSITIONING MACHINE Filed May 31, 1960 INVENTORS FIRM/7. PLkSSER BY JUSEF WevRER EGoA/ SCHOQERT Asa/T United States Patent 3,149,579 MGR-HE TRAQK PGSETIUNHNG MAQHINE Franz Plasser and .losef Theurer, Johannesgasse 3, and Egon Schubert, Sturzgasse 17, all of Vienna, Austria Filed May 31, 196i Ser. No. 32,834 laims priority, application Austria May 29, 1959 6 Claims. (Cl. 104-8) The present invention relates to mobile machines for correcting the position of a railroad track in the track plane.

Conventional manual methods for repositioning a track section in a transverse direction are too time-consuming for modern railroad track maintenance operations and also often involve damage to the rails, which is difficult and expensive to repair.

Various mobile machines for transversely moving a track mechanically have also been proposed but they had to be so long and/or heavy and required such timeconsuming operation that none has succeeded in practice. In a recently proposed mobile track positioning machine, the frame of the machine is clamped to the rails and carries a transversely swinging element whose oscillations are transmitted to one or the other rail to which the frame is clamped so as to move the track in the selected direction. ations and the effective impact on the rails is relatively small and difiicult to regulate, another disadvantage being that the oscillating plane encloses an acute angle with the track plane whereby the track is slightly lifted each time it is subjected to a transverse impact, which adversely affects the vertical position of the track. The effective impact is relatively small because the oscillation amplitude depends on the proportion of the oscillating force to the oscillated weight. Since the oscillating force is relatively small in relation to the machine and track weights, which are oscillated, the oscillation amplitude is very small and the corresponding transverse movement of the track is accordingly very slow, which reduces the effectiveness of the machine to impractical proportions. Furthermore, since the frame is clamped to the track, the entire track is vibrated and this has an unfavorable effect on the means securing the track rails to the track ties.

These and other disadvantages are overcome in accordance with the present invention by suspending a swinging element on the frame of a mobile track positioning machine for transverse oscillation in the direction of a respective track rail and selectively transmitting the oscillation impact indirectly to one or the other of the rails.

According to a preferred embodiment, the swinging element comprises an impact Weight element which has coupled thereto an oscillating means, such as a rotatable eccentric means, for transversely swinging the weight in the direction of the rails.

A machine of this type may be short and relatively light. It requires neither clamping to the rails nor support or anchoring to the ballast. It may Work continuously along the track section to be repositioned and involves no danger of damage to the rails. Its oscillating force is effective only in the selected direction where the track is to be moved and the moving force may be accurately controlled, the movement of the track depend ing on the ready adjustment of the oscillation amplitude and frequency. Its oscillating force is large in relation to the weight of the machine and the oscillation amplitude correspondingly large. The capacity of the machine (force x amplitude) is, therefore, considerable and the machine is exceedingly effective in operation. Also, only the unilateral force of the oscillating swinging element is transmitted to the track and not its vibration in both directions.

This involves time-consuming clamping oper- I 3,149,579 Patented Sept. 22,, 1964 ice The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully explained in the following detailed description of two preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a mobile track positioning machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partly sectional front view of such a machine according to one embodiment thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a similar front view of another embodiment of the machine.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts in all figures, there is shown a mobile machine comprising frame 3 mounted on wheels 4 for mobility on a railroad track consisting of rails in, 2b, mounted on ties 1, the track resting on ballast 14. A transversely swingable element is suspended on frame 3 by suitable resilient means illustrated to consist of fiat leaf springs 5 extending in a plane parallel to the track. The illustrated swinging element consists of a transversely extending impact weight element 6 whereon there is mounted an eccentric mass 7 for rotation in a horizontal plane by a shaft 7'. Rotation of the eccentric mass causes the freely suspended swinging element to undergo a transverse oscillation in the direction of arrow 8.

Mounted between the ends or impact faces of element 6 and adjacent rails 2a, 2b are selectively movable intermediate rail engagement means, each of these means being selectively contactable by the oscillating element 6 to transmit the transverse oscillation indirectly to a selected rail for transversely moving the track in the direction of the selected rail. The oscillation transmitting means illustrated in FIG. 2 consists of discs 9 of a generally wedge-shaped cross section and variable thickness, which are rotatably mounted on frame 3 for rotation about axles W in a vertical plane. In this manner, the oscillating swinging element 6, 7 unilaterally transmits its lateral motion to that rail only which is engaged by that disc 9 whose impact portion is within the oscillating range of the swinging element. This is the left-hand disc in engagement with rail 2a in FIG. 2 while the narrow portion of wedge-shaped disc 9 in engagement with rail 2b is out of the oscillating range of the swinging element. Rotation of the discs about their axles 9' selectively adjusts the distance between the impact portion of the discs so that either one of the discs may present an impact portion within the oscillating range of the swinging element in a plane parallel to the track. The impact of the oscillating force may be readily adjusted by changing the disc impact portion according to its desired thickness.

Another embodiment of the unilaterally effective, indirect impact transmitting means is shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the suspension 5 with its weight 6 is transversely adjustably mounted on frame 3, whereby the ends or impact faces of the weight may be selectively brought into contact with either one or the other of rail engaging means 10 when the weight is transversely oscillated by the eccentric mass 7. The illustrated transverse adjusting means comprises a lever 11 pivotally mounted on the frame and having one end coupled to connecting element 15. The lever carries a pivotal handle 16 cooperating with a ratchet 17 to hold the lever in the desired position. A spring 18 is mounted between the rail engaging elements 10 to bias the same into engagement with the rails.

Particularly rapid lateral movement of the track will be obtained if several oscillating masses are juxtaposed on the frame 3 in the direction of elongation of the track, as is shown in FIG. 1, and are synchronously controlled.

A uniform curve in the track may be obtained by proportioning the weights 6 and/or the oscillating masses 7 in a series of swinging elements in a predetermined manner. irregularities in the track direction may be avoided by directing the impact of some swinging elements toward one rail while the impact of other swinging elements is directed toward the other rail.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the machine frame may support ballast loosening and tamping elements for engaging ballast 14 laterally outside the track. This will prevent damage to structure positioned on the railroad bed outside the track.

In the illustrated embodiment, these elements consist of shovels 19 having a plurality of ballast engaging portions arranged at angles to each other. The shovels are pivotally mounted on brackets 20 supported by bearings at the end of support arms 13 so that they may be selectively adjusted into a position (shown at left in FIGS. 1 and 2) wherein one of the ballast engaging portions 13* enters into and loosens the ballast 14 while, in the other position (shown at right in the drawing), this portion 19 engages and tamps the surface of the ballast. As shown, the shovel supporting arm 13 is pivoted to bracket 12 of frame 3 and may be moved into and out of the ballast range by hydraulic cylinder 21. The illustrated ballast loosening and tamping means is effective in either drive direction of the machine.

It will be obvious that the size of the impact forces may be varied at will by adding or excluding a number of impact weights, by changing the frequency of the oscillating mass or by adjusting the length of the weight suspension. Furthermore, the impact transmitting elements 9 or it may carry different elastic impact absorbers to damp the impact of elements 6 in varying degrees.

While the invention has been described in connection with certain now preferred embodiments, it will be clearly understood that many modifications and variations may occur to the skilled in the art, particularly after benefiting from the present invention, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A mobile track positioning machine comprising a frame, a swinging element resiliently suspended on the frame for transverse oscillation in the direction of the track rails in a plane parallel to the track, means in engagement with said rails and including an impact portion adjacent a selected one of the ends of the swinging element, the distance of said impact portion to the selected swinging element end being adjustable to bring said lid pact portion within the oscillating range of the swinging element whereby the transverse oscillation of the swing ing element produces an impact on the selected rail engagement means, which is indirectly transmitted to a selected one of said rails for transversely moving the track in the direction of the selected rail.

2. The machine of claim 1, wherein said swinging element comprises an impact weight and coupled thereto an oscillating mass for transversely swinging the weight in the direction of the rails.

3. A mobile track positioning machine comprising a frame, a transversely extending impact weight element having impact faces adjacent the track rails, an oscillating mass coupled to the impact weight element for 1mparting thereto a transverse oscillation in the direction of the track rails in a plane parallel to the track, means for resiliently suspending the impact weight element on the frame, a pair of discs rotatably mounted on the frame in a perpendicular plane between the rails and the impact faces of the impact weight elements for engagement with the rails, each of said discs having an impact portion which may be brought within the oscillating range of the impact weight upon rotation of a selected one of said discs whereby the transverse oscillation of the impact weight element produces an impact on the selected disc, which is indirectly transmitted to a selected one of said rails for transversely moving the track in the direction of the selected rail.

4. The machine of claim 3, wherein said discs have a wedge-shaped cross section, the thicker portion of the discs constituting said impact portions.

5. A mobile track positioning machine comprising a frame, a transversely extending impact weig t element having impact faces adjacent the tracl: rails, means for resiliently suspending the impact Weight element on the frame, means mounted on the frame and connected to the suspending means for selectively moving the suspending means along the frame in a direction perpendicular to the track and toward a selected one of said rails, an oscillating mass coupled to the impact weight element for imparting thereto a transverse oscillation in the direction of the rails in a plane parallel to the track, and means engaging the rails and contacted by one of said impact faces moved toward the selected rail upon trans verse oscillation of the impact Weight element whereby the transverse oscillation is indirectly transmitted to the selected rail for transversely moving the track in the direction of the selected rail.

6. A mobile track positioning machine comprising a frame, a swinging element having two ends respectively adjacent the track rails and resiliently suspended on the frame for transverse oscillation in the direction of the rails in a plane parallel to the track, a rail engaging means selectively movable into out of engagement with an associated one of the rails and mounted on the frame intermediate the swinging element ends and the rails, means for selectively bringing one of said ends into contact with aselected one of said rail engaging means upon said transverse oscillation whereby said oscillation is indirectly transmitted to a selected one of said rails for transversely moving the track in the direction of the selected rail, shovel-like elements mounted on the frame for engaging ballast laterally outside the track, each of said elements having a plurality of ballast engaging portions arranged at angles to each other, and means for pivotally adjusting the element whereby one of said ballast engaging portions enters into and loosens the ballast in one selected position while it engages and tamps the surface of the ballast in another selected position.

Goeb et 211.: German application 1,033,234, printed July 3, 1958 (K1. 19a 28/58), 2 pp. spec., 1 sht. drwg. 

1. A MOBILE TRACK POSITIONING MACHINE COMPRISING A FRAME, A SWINGING ELEMENT RESILIENTLY SUSPENDED ON THE FRAME FOR TRANSVERSE OSCILLATION IN THE DIRECTION OF THE TRACK RAILS IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE TRACK, MEANS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RAILS AND INCLUDING AN IMPACT PORTION ADJACENT A SELECTED ONE OF THE ENDS OF THE SWINGING ELEMENT, THE DISTANCE OF SAID IMPACT PORTION TO THE SELECTED SWINGING ELEMENT END BEING ADJUSTABLE TO BRING SAID IMPACT PORTION WITHIN THE OSCILLATING RANGE OF THE SWINGING ELEMENT WHEREBY THE TRANSVERSE OSCILLATION OF THE SWINGING ELEMENT PRODUCES AN IMPACT ON THE SELECTED RAIL ENGAGEMENT MEANS, WHICH IS INDIRECTLY TRANSMITTED TO A SELECTED ONE OF SAID RAILS FOR TRANSVERSELY MOVING THE TRACK IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SELECTED RAIL. 